Nine great cars for back to school

8. Subaru Impreza

Subaru of America/File
Subaru Impreza (including this 2002 version) are known for getting its passengers through snow, ice, rain, and most anything else winter can throw at it, thanks to its all-wheel-drive technology.

Vintage: Any

Price Range: $1,500 (early 1990s) to $8,000 (early 2000s)

Excluding the road-eating turbocharged WRX variant, the Subaru Impreza is a modest automobile that’s gained incredible popularity in the snowier regions of the United States. Thanks to Subaru’s hallmark all-wheel-drive system, Imprezas are known to get their passengers through snow, ice, torrential rain, and whatever else may be between them and the ski resort they’re invariably heading to.

Inoffensive styling, a solid track record of reliability, and reasonable cargo space (especially in the wagon) have earned the Impreza a place in the hearts of frugal drivers everywhere conditions get bad. If snow is a significant part of your commute, it’s hard to beat any vintage of this car.

Parents will like: Safety of all-wheel-drive.

Students will like: Unstoppable nature of all-wheel-drive

Downsides: Not very fuel efficient considering its size, thanks to (you guessed it) all-wheel-drive.

8 of 9

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We have a mission beyond circulation, we want to bridge divides. We’re about kicking down the door of thought everywhere and saying, “You are bigger and more capable than you realize. And we can prove it.”

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